Silver Feather

Bought a new bracelet (already some time ago) at Zurich Airport.

Simple & chic.

Silver Feather black cord bracelet by Thomas Sabo.

Back In Helsinki

Came back to Helsinki from Sodankylä on Sunday afternoon.

The champagne was actually for my dear friend Sari as it was her birthday. Spent Monday in Helsinki and now I'm once again at the airport and heading to Budapest for a couple of days.

Nice birthday dinner at Sushi Bar & Wine on Freda 42.

Sushi and Scandinavian design - fab combination!

ps.going to see Volbeat tonight at Pecsa in Budapest...

Midnight Sun Film Festival

 During the last days I've seen quite many films...

 Annual Midnight Sun Film Festival in Sodankylä.

Here're some of the films that saw there;

Los Amantes Pasajeros by Almodovar

- it was a comedy but, well, not the best one

Purge (Puhdistus) by Antti Jokinen

- I cried from the beginning to the end

Dom över död man by Jan Troell

- interesting, based on a true story

Blackmail by Alfred Hitchcock

- silent film with live music by Oulu Symphony

35 Shots of Rum by Claire Denis

- beautiful film, absolutely one of the best 

Tales from the Golden Age by Christian Mungiu

- Romanian short films with lots of humour yet so real

There're 4 places where the films are shown:

Lapinsuu which is the local cinema, school, small tent and the largest circus tent in Finland.

 My festival nails "Can't Find My Czechbook"

 The house we rented for the accommodation during the festival.

Very nice with 3 bedrooms, big kitchen with all appliances, sauna, terrace...Had only time to sleep and have breakfast there, otherwise it was all day movies.

Not much choice for lunch/dinner. There's one hotel with a restaurant and one restaurant in town. Bt anyway the food is not the main issue - you eat what is available when you have time. 

On The Road Again...

 Had one full day at home in Budapest...This morning it was time to go to the airport again to catch Lufthansa flight via Munich to Helsinki.

Found something at the Munich Airport...

(was looking for it already in Paris but no luck.)

Had something to eat...

 Toast Skagen

 Reindeer Burger

Tomorrow morning I have a flight to Rovaniemi, but before that I need to read Sofi Oksanen's Puhdistus (=Purge) and eat some angry candies.

From Rovaniemi I'll take a buss to Sodankylä, where the annual Midnight Sun Film Festival takes place June 12-16.

I've got already some tickets for different days including Purge on Thursday morning, the film is directed by Antti Jokinen. 

Eating Out In Paris

The French cuisine is simply breathtaking. Had fabulous dinners there last week, here're some examples:

Brasserie Bofinger 

Bofinger is the oldest brasserie in Paris, opened in 1864.
The place is famous for its seafood. The scampi starter with avocado mousse and orange sauce was tasty and delicious. 

Ordered also the sea platter with shrimps and lobster.
Fantastic!

For a dessert had creme brûlée and afterwards green tea.

The Art Deco glass dome is spectacular! 

Bofinger

5-7, rue de la Bastille

Chez Georges

This was my first time at Chez Georges and definitely not the last one - the place was absolutely marvellous!

It's also fashion designer Isabel Marant's favourite brasseries. She has said that every time she goes there she thinks about Claude Chabrol's movies.

Chez Georges is a typical French brasserie with very good - and I would say interesting food.

Had some herring and potato salad to start with and then grilled turbot with sauce Bearnaise - perfect!

Enjoyed a selection of French cheese before going to a slice of millefeuille which was the most delicious millefeuille ever!

Had a table reservation at 7.30pm, by 9pm the place was full, mostly locals.

Brasserie Lipp

Brasserie Lipp was founded in 1880.

My menu:

Anchovies with potato salad

Sole meunier

Roquefort

Millefeuille

Fantastic!

click click

Have A Lunch In Paris!

Here's a list of some places where I had lunch in Paris last week.

Les Deux Abeilles

Chèvre pie with green salad, a glass of home-made ginger lemonade and pear-rasberry crumble with cream.

Perfect!

The place has such a typical French atmosphere.

Laduree

Laduree is not just macarons - they serve lunch as well.

Plain omelett with green salad and afterwards my favourite macaroons: orange blossom, liquorice, vanilla and salted caramel.

I also had some violet scented black tea.

I just love this place!

Bought some violet & orange blossom tea to take home.

Laduree

21, rue Bonaparte, 6e

ps. Laduree on rue Royale is closed for renovation.

Mariage Freres

Saturday brunch at Mariage Freres on rue du Bourg-Tibourg.

Le Classique includes fresh squeezed orange juice, brioche toast served with Gelees extra de the, scrambles eggs with seasoned with Sel Matcha, grilled shrimps skewer, smoked salmon spring rolls and strawberry cake.

Rainbow Spirit includes juice, toast and dessert as above and salmon tartar, tea-flavoured wasabi-avocado coulis, lotus chips, celeriac, mizuna greens, pink radish and ground cherry.

I chose the orange blossom tea. 

As a big tea drinker couldn't just walk away without buying some tea to take home: Earl Grey Imperial, Earl Grey French, Sakura green tea and Paque green tea.

I will tell more about the teas little bit later!

Paris, Paris, Paris

Paris is not just beautiful buildings but also full of stunning and sometimes even funny details.

 (I guess a Finnish fashion designer who btw is the main men's wear designer for Givenchy, lives behind these massive red doors in Marais...)

Makes me smile!

 Printemps Haussmann

I can highly recommend Hotel Eden if you like walking (I don't mean the stairs, there's a lift!) but the 15. district is a bit far from the main attractions. Of course, you can commute by metro (the nearest station is Vaugirard) or just take a taxi.